December 7, 2021.  I’ll never forget the phone call that changed my life.  A neck ultra-sound that was not given a second thought because I was concerned about abnormal mammogram findings turned my world completely around.  Cancer.  The word in and of itself changes your axis.

What was thyroid cancer? Where exactly is my thyroid and what role does it have in my body? How do I know what stage thyroid cancer do I have? What treatment options are available? What will my world look like after surgery? What will the recovery look like? Do I have to take medication for life? I hate medicine.

How long will I live? 

I knew nothing. Nobody in my immediate family didn’t have thyroid cancer, therefore, no familial ties to this foreign health condition.  I
thought I was in the clear, wrong.

I had a total thyroidectomy performed February 7, 2022 by the
Chief of Endocrine Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.  The research prior to my thyroidectomy was exhausting and over-whelming.  From
selecting the best surgeon to making sure I had the tools for a successful recovery.  I’ll be honest, I was initially distraught.  I couldn’t sleep.  I had lost my appetite.  I didn’t want to part take in any fun activities since I knew my mind wasn’t in the right place.  I even tried to distract myself by taking a trip to Orlando, Florida shortly after I found out my diagnosis.  I didn’t know how to cope.  I thought distracting myself with a trip to
the happiest place on earth would help. It did and it didn’t.  I dreaded
the phone call from my radiologist that discussed what type of thyroid cancer I had.  I didn’t know there could be various kinds of thyroid cancers.  What?

The days were short and nights were long.  At night, I’d scour the internet for answers and for hope that maybe it’s the ‘GOOD CANCER’ that people so lovingly refer to it as.  The facts brought me to reality but it also caused me to have anxiety over what was to come.  I realized that thyroid cancer, particularly, Papillary Thyroid Cancer, the kind that I had was more common.  But the BRAF positive gene made the cancer particularly stubborn and the chance for re-occurrence was high.

So much information. Again, so overwhelming and exhausting.

February 7, 2023.  One year since my thyroidectomy surgery and I’d like to share what my journey has been so far and continues to be.  It’s a
never-ending journey but I figured that maybe this ex-thyroid blog will help someone.  Maybe it’s a friend, a spouse, a family member or maybe it’s you.   I hope to provide an easy-to-read resource to help you on your next part of your journey of life.

Please reach out at Admin@myexthyroid.com and say hello.  I also welcome any suggestions or ideas on what may have helped you.  After joining many Facebook groups around thyroidectomy, thyroid cancer, and thyroid conditions – hopefully this site will a collection of what many other patients and real people have used to help them.
Together, we can get through this!

– Natalie